100 Best Covers Ever
Good covers come in many forms. There are parodies that exist for shit and giggles. Some capture the mood of the song in a straightforward manner. Others move you emotionally. And some of the greatest ones reinterpret the song and improve upon the original. I’ve put together 100 of my favorites here. Some are famous, while others are more obscure. Speaking of parodies, while I have a couple on here, Weird Al isn’t included because I couldn’t pick just one or two; he deserves his own list for another day. As someone who was obsessed with American Idol for 14 seasons and an on and off fan of The Voice, about a quarter of these are from reality talent shows (I had to set a rule for myself that some sort of audio recording of the performance, either live or in the studio, had to exist or else more than half of this list would be from those shows); I’ve put forth the live versions of some of those performances for time since they’re typically around 2 minutes long. Some are covers of covers, which I discovered during my research for this article; the true original artist will be listed. And then there are the ones that are so iconic that most people don’t even know they’re covers. Ready? Here we go!
100. Carter Rubin: “Rainbow Connection” from The Muppet Movie
Carter won the 19th season of The Voice, making him the youngest male winner at 14 years old. This earnest performance was instrumental to that outcome. His innocence is what makes the idealism expressed sweet and not cheesy.
99. AWOLNATION feat. Taylor Hanson: “Material Girl” Madonna
This gender bending cover keeps the ‘80s feel but leans into Taylor’s history of being mistaken for a girl at the beginning of his career for fun.
98. Josh Groban feat. Kelly Clarkson: “All I Ask of You” from The Phantom of the Opera
Josh’s voice sounds rich, while Kelly hits the high notes with such precision and a pure tone, proving she can sing pretty much any genre.
97. Hootie & the Blowfish: “I Go Blind” 54-40
Darius Rucker’s and guitarist Mark Bryan’s voices intertwine and harmonize throughout, bringing a breeziness to the song. It sounds like a catchy love song, but according to the songwriters, it’s about the desensitization to violence and resulting apathy from seeing the news. The rasp in Darius’ deep baritone on certain lyrics is the only hint to the song’s true meaning.
96. Weezer: “Africa” Toto
It isn’t much different from the original (maybe slightly more guitar and less pseudo-African sounding synths and keyboards), but they navigate the difficult vocal harmonies with great aplomb (it’s subtle, but you can hear it if you pay close attention). Flattered, Toto covered “Hash Pipe” in response. Oh, and I apparently lied earlier when I said Weird Al’s not in this article because he’s in the music video for this cover! I can tell you’re as excited as I am.
95. Kat Perkins: “Get Lucky” Daft Punk feat. Pharrell Williams
Kat made it to the semifinals of the 6th season of The Voice. This rock version of the electronic duo’s hit was polarizing, but it’s an impressive feat to get me to like Daft Punk. I can just imagine myself singing this at the top of my lungs in a crowded stadium.
94. Phillip Phillips: “We’ve Got Tonight” Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band
Phil won the 11th season of American Idol. I have mixed feelings about him; I think Phillip displayed a very limited artistic and vocal range as a contestant, but his post-Idol music has been pretty good ("Home" is a good song). It was really late in the season when Phillip started to pick up his game; he finally went outside his comfort zone during the top 3. Mentor Jimmy Iovine choosing this song for Phillip forced him to ditch his guitar and show some vulnerability.
93. Bananarama: “Venus” Shocking Blue
The original is more like a classic rock song; Bananarama made it a catchy ‘80s pop tune (which I guess was modernizing it at the time).
92. Madeleine Peyroux: “You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go” Bob Dylan
My dad was in Norway on business. At a Bulgarian restaurant, they were playing Billie Holiday over the sound system. Or so he thought, until he heard her do a Bob Dylan song, and the timeline didn’t add up. Madeleine sounds so much Billie, it’s uncanny, especially for such a unique and distinctive voice. The percussion with the brush work and bongos is great too.
91. Christina Grimmie: “Hold On, We’re Going Home” Drake feat. Majid Jordan
I like how she slowed down the beginning of the song at the piano, which allowed her to build up to that piercing high note at the end. Christina placed 3rd on the 6th season of The Voice and was pretty popular on YouTube. She had an amazingly big voice for a small woman. Tragically, she was gunned down by a fan at only 22 years old. RIP.
90. David Garrett feat. Orianthi: “Walk This Way” Aerosmith feat. Run-DMC
David takes over most of the song on violin: at high tempo for the verse, some chords for the chorus, and even taking over the iconic guitar riffs. Meanwhile, Orianthi gets to shine on guitar by wailing how she wants after the choruses.
89. Nikki Yanofsky: “God Bless the Child” Billie Holiday
Nikki pulls out every vocal trick in her arsenal to emphasize the lyrics about financial uncertainty.
88. Santana feat. Chris Cornell: “Whole Lotta Love” Led Zeppelin
This song gives us the chance to hear Carlos Santana at his loudest while still maintaining his intricate guitar playing, while Chris gets to embrace scream-singing.
87. Destiny’s Child: “Emotion” Samantha Sang
I, like many people, thought the Bee Gees originally did this song, but that’s because the original version flopped. Samantha’s voice is thin and whispery (which is a pet peeve of mine) while the Bee Gees bring some of their signature nasally falsetto; both versions are super ‘80s sounding. Destiny’s Child update the song while bringing lovely rich harmonies into the fold.
86. Florence + the Machine: “You Got the Love” The Source feat. Candi Staton
Florence brings her signature big voice and orchestral accompaniment (including harp of course) to this ‘80s hit.
85. Christina Aguilera feat. Lil’ Kim, Mỳa, and P!nk: “Lady Marmalade” Patti LaBelle
Each artist brings a unique feel to her part, highlighting different types of sexual expression for women; Mỳa’s smooth voice during the first verse is refined, P!nk’s rasp on the second verse brings strength, Lil’ Kim’s rap highlights independence, and then Christina’s voice on the climax just knocks down every wall.
84. Postmodern Jukebox feat. Haley Reinhart: “Habits” Tove Lo
Many people would probably be surprised to know that many former American Idol contestants collaborate with Postmodern Jukebox on a regular basis (Haley placed 3rd on the 10th season). I know this group’s most popular collaboration with her is “Creep”, but I feel that version of the song is too swanky for an alternative rock song about self-loathing, and this one is highly underrated. This jazz cover allows Haley to show off all of the colors of her unique tone without overdoing it, and the oohs in the chorus of the original song translate perfectly into scatting and whistling.
83. Kacey Musgraves: “Gracias a la Vida” Violeta Parra
This song was originally written and recorded by the Chilean Violeta Parra in 1966 not long before her suicide and then was popularized in Latin America by the Argentinian Mercedes Sosa in 1971. It’s not a song you would expect a Texan country singer to cover in 2021, but Kacey sometimes doesn’t color within the country lines, as evidenced by the controversial decision for the album it’s on, Star-Crossed, to be moved from the country to pop category for the Grammys. She reportedly was high on mushrooms when she first heard the song and decided to cover it, which is evident; it starts off sounding like the vintage original but starts sounding dreamlike yet distorted at around the 1-minute mark.
82. Jack White: “I’m Shakin’” Little Willie John
Jack ups the tempo and energy of this really old school R&B song but keeps some of the retro appeal, so it sounds more like an Elvis rock hit.
81. Hugh Laurie feat. Gaby Moreno: “Why Don’t You Do Right?” Lil Green
Also known as “The Weed Smoker’s Dream”, the most famous version to my parents’ generation is probably by Peggy Lee, while people my age mostly know it as Jessica Rabbit’s song in Who Framed Roger Rabbit?. This version’s more like the latter with its raunchy saxophone; Hugh gets to show off a little on the piano towards the end, but it’s Gaby’s unique vibrato that carries the song.
80. Bonnie Raitt: “Angel from Montgomery” John Prine
It’s cool that John wrote a song from the point of view of a middle aged woman unsatisfied with her life and marriage, especially back in the ‘70s, but it’s more believable coming from Bonnie.
79. Jason Mraz: “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday” Boyz II Men
I like how it slowly builds from Jason singing a cappella, to just piano accompaniment, to the heavenly backing vocals. It gives his beautiful tenor voice a chance to shine.
78. Smash Mouth: “I’m a Believer” The Monkees
If you’re covering The Monkees, all you have to do is have fun and not take yourself too seriously.
77. Janelle Arthur: “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” The Supremes
Janelle placed 5th on the 12th season of American Idol. I'm a little surprised that I like the country version of a Motown hit, but this makes a bit more sense than the up-tempo original; the frustration of the situation depicted in the song is really highlighted. Janelle came up with this arrangement back when she was just 14 years old (before Idol), making this even more impressive.
76. Mary J. Blige: “I’m Going Down” Rose Royce
The horns and Mary’s powerhouse vocals carry this performance (and it doesn’t have the fake sobbing that I can’t stand in the original).
75. Danielle Nicole: “How Come You Don’t Call Me Anymore?” Prince
Looking up the original (sorry, I’m not super familiar with Prince’s repertoire), it’s bluesier than I would expect, so it makes sense that blues singer and bassist Danielle would cover it. I like the interplay between the bass and the keyboards, and she gets to show off her upper vocal range.
74. Alisha’s Attic: “He’s a Rebel” The Crystals
Alisha’s Attic are a duo of sisters who were popular when I grew up in Britain in the ‘90s; they recorded this cover for Mr. Bean’s movie. It’s a mostly straightforward cover; they kept the beginning piano riff and the saxophone solo but replaced the choppy horns in the chorus with choppy electric guitar chords, which highlights Karen Poole’s proud vocal. Side note: it was hard to find a video that didn’t speed up the song, so the only one I could post shows clips of Heath Ledger’s Joker, lol. I guess it’s from Harley Quinn’s point of view?
73. The White Stripes: “I Just Don’t Know What to Do with Myself” Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield isn’t the first artist you’d expect The White Stripes would cover (I guess you wouldn’t expect Dolly Parton either, yet their cover of “Jolene” is pretty popular; Jack White likes to defy expectations). While you can headbang to the loud guitar chords, Jack sings with a vulnerable scream and falsetto. It’s emo, but in a good way.
72. Syesha Mercado: “One Rock and Roll Too Many” from Starlight Express
Syesha placed 3rd on the 7th season of American Idol. Poor thing, she almost went home in 6th after giving arguably her best performance of the season and the second best performance of the night; the voting results made it abundantly clear that very few fans were rooting for her (admittedly, it was an extremely competitive season, but there were some who screwed up that night and got a free pass). Syesha elevated the vocals and gave more pizzazz to a song for anthropomorphic trains than it really deserves.
71. Kyla Jade: “You Don’t Own Me” Lesley Gore
Kyla placed 3rd on the 14th season of The Voice. To show her defiant attitude, she masterfully builds up her vocal from a quiet strength to loudly belting her commands, emphasizing the lyrics “I’m free” with falsetto and almost yelling “NO!” towards the end, bestowing the power the feminist anthem deserves.
70. Rose Short: “God’s Country” Blake Shelton
Rose placed 4th on the 17th season of The Voice. Gwen Stefani chose this song for her. Rose must’ve been nervous singing her mentor’s husband’s song in front of them, but she nailed the difficult octave-jumping vocals; she hit some pretty low notes for a woman. I love the gospel rock interpretation of this country hit (I’m a sucker for a choir). If the church services I’d been to had music like this, I maybe would’ve become a devout Christian. Maybe.
69. The Brian Setzer Orchestra: “Sleepwalk” Santo & Johnny
Brian’s guitar playing is intricate, and the way he drags the notes elicits drowsiness.
68. KT Tunstall: “Fake Plastic Trees” Radiohead
The piano is beautiful, and I like how the percussion ups the drama on the third verse. It’s also easier to understand what KT is saying than what Thom Yorke is saying.
67. Elise Testone: “Bold as Love” The Jimi Hendrix Experience
I love Elise’s vocal choices during the second verse to emphasize the emotions of the different colors mentioned in the lyrics; she approaches it more like a jazz singer than a rock singer. Elise finished in 6th place on the 11th season of American Idol after this performance even though she was arguably the most talented and by far the most self-assured artist that season. The judges treated her unfairly because she was *gasp!* 28 years old (which of course doesn't matter for male contestants), and her age kept being a major topic of conversation in interviews. Sure, she was a bit pouty, but who wouldn't be? It’s a shame when Idol becomes a popularity contest run by teens.
66. Björk: “It’s Oh So Quiet” Betty Hutton
I remember this being the first song I heard from Björk as a kid and thinking it was weird, which is hilarious in hindsight since this is probably her most normal song. She slows down the quiet parts, a decision that allows the louder parts pay off more (that, and Björk doesn’t shy away from the excited screams throughout the song).
65. Judith Hill: “What a Girl Wants” Christina Aguilera
Judith made it to the top 8 on the 4th season of The Voice. She blew away the judges auditioning with this song. By changing it from a super poppy song to a piano based R&B song, she, ironically, can show off doing more runs than Christina does in the original. Also, by upping the key slightly, Judith can utilize her falsetto more.
64. Katelyn Epperly: “The Scientist” Coldplay
Season 9 is widely considered the worst season of American Idol, but, early on, it had a decent amount of promise. During the semifinals, Katelyn was one of my favorites because of this deeply moving performance. However, the judges didn't appreciate it because they felt the tempo was slowed down too much, but I thought that it really highlighted the lyrics. The next week, disaster struck: Katelyn was voted off while Paige Miles went through to the top 12 after her disastrous performance of "Smile" by Nat King Cole.
63. Southern Avenue: “Slipped, Tripped, and Fell in Love” Ann Peebles
Southern Avenue are a great blues band from Memphis. Lead singer Tierinii Jackson and drummer Tikyra Jackson add a lot of energy to the song, and bonus points for tackling a more obscure song from Ann.
62. 2CELLOS: “Welcome to the Jungle” Guns N’ Roses
I like how the lead cello utilizes dissonance to mimic Axl Rose’s screeches on the word “knees” and the use of the drumming on the backing cello towards the end. I didn’t realize how hard they go until I watched this video; damn, they must go through a million bows a year!
61. Letters to Cleo: “I Want You to Want Me” Cheap Trick
This sounds like the punk-pop side of No Doubt at their most energetic.
60. Britton Buchanan: “Some Kind of Wonderful” Soul Brothers Six
Britton was runner-up on the 14th season of The Voice. There’s a lot to like about this cover: the slowed down beginning, the jazzy piano, retro style back-up singers, and the 17-year-old’s enthusiastic vocals and intricate guitar-playing.
59. Lorde: “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” Tears for Fears
I had forgotten how catchy and almost cheery the original song sounds; Lorde’s version sounds darker and illuminates the sinister actions of the power hungry.
58. Esperanza Spaulding: “I Want It Now” from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
When I was a kid, my favorite part of the movie was when the spoiled Veruca Salt would get her comeuppance and fall into the “bad egg” shaft (not sure I wanna know what that says about me…). Most people would cover “Pure Imagination”, but the unexpected is to be expected for Esperanza’s experimental album Emily’s D+ Evolution. This is probably the most avant-garde cover on this list; the opening piano riff sounds foreboding along with the military percussion, both of which grow more dissonant and off-kilter throughout the song, and she doesn’t just scream “I’m gonna scream!”, she shrieks and howls like an out-of-control dog.
57. Chris Cornell: “Billie Jean” Michael Jackson
You don’t think “angry rock ballad” when you think of Michael Jackson, but this makes sense; you’d be upset too if a woman you never slept with tried to get you in a paternity suit.
56. Michelle Chamuel: “True Colors” Cyndi Lauper
Michelle was runner-up on the 4th season of The Voice. This simple piano version feels more heartfelt and genuine than the original.
55. Joss Stone: “Fell in Love with a Girl” The White Stripes
Renamed “Fell in Love with a Boy”, I actually heard this version of the song before the original, so the latter feels rushed to me. By lengthening the song and injecting some soul into it, Joss seems more mature than her 16 years.
54. Natalie Imbruglia: “Torn” Ednaswap
Bet you had no idea that Natalie’s one major hit is a cover! I love her debut album Left of the Middle and think it should have garnered more attention in the US, even if it’s greatly influenced by Alanis Morrisette (but aren’t many of our favorite female artists from today?). The production of this version is more polished and radio friendly than the original, and Natalie sings with the requisite angst.
53. Ed Sheeran: “Make It Rain” Foy Vance
When Ed was asked to record a song for the TV show Sons of Anarchy, he thought the opening line fit the show perfectly. This is the most bluesy song he’s done; it’s nice to hear him expand his sound and vocal delivery.
52. Lake Street Dive: “This Magic Moment” The Drifters
It sounds just as retro as the original, but the syncopated percussion is interesting, and it really highlights Bridget Kearney’s skill at the upright bass.
51. The Corrs: “No Frontiers” Mary Black
I grew up listening to both of these Irish artists. Both versions are pretty, but this version has gorgeous vocal harmonies from lead singer Andrea Corr and violinist Sharon Corr.
50. Mark Ronson feat. Amy Winehouse: “Valerie” The Zutons
I was the most surprised when I looked up the original song here; I thought for sure that this was an old jazz standard (The Zutons even sound like the name of a ‘50s jazz or doo-wop band), but it’s an alternative rock song from the 2000s along the lines of a band like Sublime. Amy elevates this song from forgettable to timeless.
49. Phil Collins: “A Groovy Kind of Love” Diane & Annita
Here is another with an intermediate cover that’s more famous than the original. Both the original and the Mindbenders version have that ‘60s doo-wop vibe. Phil slows the tempo down considerably, minimizing the cheesiness and making it sound more earnest.
48. Annie Lennox: “A Whiter Shade of Pale” Procol Harum
By having the Bach air sound like a music box instead of an organ, it gives the song a more whimsical feel befitting the cryptic lyrics.
47. Charlotte Church: “Habañera” from Carmen
Many people think that opera can feel stuffy, so I like the fun Latin twist on this aria.
46. Michael Bublé: “How Sweet It Is” Marvin Gaye
Apparently, James Taylor’s version of this song is the most famous, but I grew up listening to the original (I’ve always been a big Motown fan). Most of Michael’s covers sound like your grandparents’ music, but this is so much fun with the opening guitar riff and the bluesy harmonica flourishes.
45. Simply Red: “If You Don’t Know Me by Now” Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes
This is a pretty straightforward cover with an ‘80s update, but Mick Hucknall gives an impassioned performance.
44. The Black Crowes: “Hard to Handle” Otis Redding
This soul classic works extremely well as an energetic rock song, complete with hard-hitting guitar solo and unintelligible lyrics.
43. Rasputina: “If Your Kisses Can’t Hold the Man You Love” Sophie Tucker
I was surprised when I found out that this is a cover of a song from the ‘30s; the message of it is if your man is cheating, do the same to him. I mean, that is my grandparents’ generation, and my grandma wouldn’t consider that ladylike! The arrangement with the dissonant cello in this version is unique, and lead singer and cellist Melora Creager sells each line with amusing snark.
42. Haley Reinhart: “Can’t Help Falling in Love” Elvis Presley
This simple ballad gives Haley the chance to show a softer, more subtle aspect of her unique voice.
41. Betty Who: “I Love You Always Forever” Donna Lewis
This version of the song sounds as if Lorde took inspiration from the harmonies in the second verse and ran with it. The minimalistic beat-forward production really modernizes the song.
40. Less Than Jake: “I Think I Love You” from The Partridge Family
What’s more hilarious than a punk rock cover of a cheesy ‘60s love song with a random horn interlude?
39. Santana feat. Joe Cocker: “Little Wing” The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Joe just rips his heart out when he sings anything, and Santana is one of maybe two or three guitarists who can do Jimi justice. It’s just a winning formula.
38. Jeff Buckley: “Hallelujah” Leonard Cohen
Jeff sang with a quiet passion while giving the song more of a melody. His tragic death shortly after the recording also adds more weight to it.
37. Christian Porter: “Sexy and I Know It” LMFAO
Christian made it through the auditions with this song on the 4th season of The Voice. As annoying as LMAFO’s songs are, they’re clearly not supposed to be taken seriously. Somehow, Christian singing it like he’s a serious Casanova makes it funnier.
36. Natalie Cole: “L-O-V-E” Nat King Cole
Natalie adds a bit of jazzy pizzazz to her father’s hit.
35. Spensha Baker: “Broken Halos” Chris Stapleton
Spensha placed 4th on the 14th season of The Voice. You feel the country singer’s grief of a friend’s passing in this moving performance without her vocal technique wavering.
34. The Offspring: “Feelings” Morris Albert
Here we have another punk rock version of an old cheesy song, except this time, there are amusingly biting lyrics to go with it. And a special shoutout to drummer Brandon Pertzborn who expertly keeps up with the frenetic pace.
33. Sarah Grace: “Amazing Grace” Christian Hymn
Sarah made it to the semifinals on the 15th season of The Voice. The 15-year-old chose to take the hymn and sing it to the melody of “The House of the Rising Sun” while playing the trumpet, and it works surprisingly well! You could argue that it’s pointlessly pretentious, but it’s the gutsiest performance I’ve seen on a singing competition show.
32. Céline Dion: “River Deep, Mountain High” Ike & Tina Turner
This is probably blasphemy, but I prefer this to the original. How can I say that, especially so soon after Tina’s death? Don’t worry; she has two other entries on this list. Not picking “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” or “All by Myself” is probably also controversial…oh well! Céline’s big, rich voice and an unexpected bongo solo up the energy for this song, so the choruses have more impact.
31. Alien Ant Farm: “Smooth Criminal” Michael Jackson
The faster tempo and death metal guitar chords are more fitting for the song about poor Annie being murdered in her home, but they allude to the original with Terry Corso’s impressive backing vocals.
30. LL Cool J: "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?" from Three Little Pigs
If you read my Disney article, you’ve seen the video, but I didn’t bother to elaborate on my love for it. It comes from a VHS tape I grew up with called Simply Mad About the Mouse where famous people like Billy Joel, Harry Connick Jr., and Michael Bolton cover Disney songs; the entire thing is on YouTube (although I wouldn’t recommend it; about halfway through, it goes down fast with cultural appropriation and nightmarish psychedelic visuals). This rap is by far the highlight, a wonderfully ridiculous ‘90s music video complete with black-and-white geometric lighting and female back-up singers for the title refrain. LL Cool J also can’t decide whether he’s the smart pig with the house of bricks or the big bad wolf; I guess whichever’s sexier? That’s for the furries to decide.
29. Tina Turner: “I Can’t Stand the Rain” Ann Peebles
I love those loud keyboard chords in the verses; they just add so much drama!
28. Postmodern Jukebox feat. Morgan James: “Really Don’t Care” Demi Lovato
I could talk about how great Scott Bradlee is at tickling the ivories or comment on Morgan’s silky vocals filled with attitude but come on! Tambourine Guy is the reason we watch this video; he’s like a freaking puppy who’s just SO HAPPY to be there!
27. Rebecca Loebe: “Come as You Are” Nirvana
Rebecca made it through the auditions on the 1st season of The Voice with this song (although she deserved to make it past the battle round too). The bass, sliding guitar, and piano give the song a more soulful pop vibe, and she uses her falsetto and rasp in bits and pieces to convey the yearning of the lyrics. It’s also super impressive to hold that last high note for 12 seconds.
26. Gary Jules feat. Michael Andrews: “Mad World” Tears for Fears
Tears for Fears really have a knack for writing catchy songs with dark lyrics, huh? This version that was featured in Donnie Darko is depressing but also kinda makes your skin crawl.
25. Candice Glover: “Straight Up” Paula Abdul
This jazzy arrangement of Paula's poppy hit is the best Candice created. The most genius part: turning that idiotic "a-buh-buh-buh-bye" part into a scat. I was thrilled when she won the 12th season of American Idol, the first woman in six years to win. However, the producers that season stacked the deck in favor of the women; the judges selected great female singers and not-so-good male singers for the top 20. It's a shame that this was the only way a woman could win from seasons 6-15 while it was still on Fox.
24. Lisa Ramey: “The Weight” The Band
Lisa made it to the playoffs on the 16th season of The Voice. Apparently, rock fans don’t watch the show anymore because she got voted off after this performance (yes, the live version sounded exactly like this; it’s been taken down from YouTube, unfortunately). But yeah, when I watched this show from seasons 14-19, mainly pop, country, and R&B singers made it past the playoffs with only a couple of exceptions; rock and jazz contestants tended to make it farther on American Idol. This is probably partially due to The Voice kicking off multiple contestants at a time while Idol tends to only send them home one at a time. Anyway, I love the electric, soulful rock interpretation of the song, and Lisa sings with such confidence.
23. Nina Simone: “Strange Fruit” Billie Holiday
By removing the brass instruments, there’s even more focus on Nina’s emotion and the lyrics about the lynching of Black people.
22. Joey Cook: “Miss Independent” Kelly Clarkson
Joey placed 7th on the 14th season of American Idol. With her sexy red dress, she brings a retro style to a modern pop song with an old-fashioned sentiment. While Joey had a pretty limited vocal range, she made up for it by being the wildcard of the season; she would do jazz one week, an indie pop performance the next, and then folk the next, and she played the accordion and ukulele. I loved Joey's creativity and thought she should've gotten farther in the competition. The season got a bit boring after she left.
21. Siobhan Magnus: “Paint It Black” The Rolling Stones
Siobhan placed 6th on the 9th season of American Idol. I'm jealous that I didn't come up with this arrangement. She said that she was inspired by creepy clowns, although when I listen to it, I imagine a twisted Alice in Wonderland. A pretty piano lullaby and strings in the intro give the song a whimsical yet eerie feeling before going into a full-on rock performance with an intricate bassline and sitar riffs. The strings become more intense, and the militant percussion paves the way for Siobhan’s daring vocals.
20. Israel Kamakawiwo’ole: “Over the Rainbow” from The Wizard of Oz
The movie is classic. Judy Garland is classic. The song is classic. This usually means that it’s untouchable. However, the world just needed an understated Hawai’ian version that warms everyone’s hearts.
19. Javier Colon: “Time After Time” Cyndi Lauper
Javier won the 1st season of The Voice. He flips the song on its head; instead of flashy ‘80s production with a simple melody, he opts for (mostly) just his acoustic guitar with showy runs throughout his vocal performance. Yet, he doesn’t remove the heart of the song.
18. Miley Cyrus feat. Elton John, Chad Smith, Yo-Yo Ma, and Robert Trujillo: “Nothing Else Matters” Metallica
A Metallica song with Miley Cyrus on vocals, Elton John on piano, the drummer from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Yo-Yo Ma on cello, and Metallica’s bass player. It sounds like someone just picked random artists’ names out of a hat and threw them together, but it’s actually damn good! Elton replaces the opening and ending arpeggios, while Miley gives one of her most powerful vocals, even while singing insanely low notes for a woman. And there’s a cello solo in the middle because why not?
17. Al Jarreau: “Take Five” Dave Brubeck Quartet
We’ve had a couple of instrumental versions of songs with lyrics; let’s now highlight a cover of an instrumental song with lyrics added. Al starts as his own percussion by beatboxing (in a time before it was really a thing) and then sings the saxophone melody, sometimes through scatting, sometimes with lyrics. It takes a lot of breath control to keep up with the fast, yet complex melody, and he has the brassy tone to pull it off.
16. Elvis Presley: “Hound Dog” Big Mama Thornton
While Elvis polishes the edges of the vocal for ‘50s middle America, the percussion, guitar, and handclaps up the energy.
15. Juliet Simms: “It’s a Man’s, Man’s, Man’s World” James Brown
Juliet was the runner-up of the 2nd season of The Voice. The bluesy guitar fits Juliet’s rasp perfectly, and she makes some great vocal choices to reinterpret the song from a feminist perspective.
14. Jamie Cullum: “I Could Have Danced All Night” from My Fair Lady
Jamie is an English neo-jazz singer and pianist who is one of my favorite artists and deserves more recognition in the US. A syncopated rhythm updates this classic as he uses his smokey voice to usher in the funky bassline and rounds it out with an energetic, jazzy piano solo. And yet, he still manages to work in the waltz-like strings from the original.
13. Halo Circus: “Do You Believe in Shame?” Duran Duran
The lead singer, Allison Iraheta, is, in my opinion, the most underrated American Idol contestant ever (she placed 4th on the 8th season); she has been able to pour her soul into everything she sings since she was barely 17. The hard rock interpretation of the ‘80s song and opening bass riff are fantastic, but Allison’s impressive vocal range is the star.
12. Big Brother and the Holding Company feat. Janis Joplin: “Piece of My Heart” Erma Franklin
Janis kinda does the opposite of what Elvis did for “Hound Dog” for this old school R&B song; there is nothing polished about her, which makes her emotion feel all the more raw. She’s like “You’re gonna take a piece of my heart? I’ll just rip it out for you!”
11. Sara Bareilles: “The Dock of the Bay” Otis Redding
I love the original song, but I never really thought about its message until I heard this simpler, slower version. I hadn’t realized how depressing the lyrics were because the original is so breezy sounding. Sara’s desperate falsetto on “I can’t do what 10 people tell me to do, so I guess I’ll just stay the same” and the sudden, angry-sounding chord on “2,000 miles I roam, just to make this dock my home” underscore the hopelessness of the protagonist.
10. Fugees: “Killing Me Softly with His Song” Lori Lieberman
The original is really intimate, while Roberta Flack’s version is laidback and harmonious (the latter almost sounds too happy). The Fugees take the best of both and bring it into ‘90s hip hop. Lauryn has a modern R&B take on Roberta’s vocals (especially on the ohs and la-las), but she channels Lori’s soul.
9. Ike & Tina Turner: “Proud Mary” Creedence Clearwater Revival
“We never ever do nothin’ nice and easy. We always do it nice and rough.” Tina says as she introduces this song. I grew up listening to both versions of this song, and while the original is a nice and easy Southern folk-rock song, this version is like a firecracker with long fuse; the “nice” part is the first half of the song, a slow and smooth build-up towards the “rough” part, a burst of energy from the horns and percussion only surpassed by Tina herself.
8. David Cook: “Hello” Lionel Richie
My favorite American Idol winner (other than Kelly Clarkson). OK, it's partially because I have a crush on David but mostly because of his talent...and his sexy voice. He won the 7th season of Idol with his creative arrangements, and this is my favorite because David also reinterprets the lyrics; he manages to turn this sickeningly sappy song into an awesomely dark, creepy-stalker anthem.
7. Joe Cocker: “With a Little Help from My Friends” The Beatles
It was a difficult choice between this and “The Letter” by The Box Tops, but this is probably the only Beatles cover that’s better than the original.
6. Whitney Houston: “I Will Always Love You” Dolly Parton
I wonder if Dolly realized while she was writing this bittersweet country song that it would end up living its best life as a bombastic R&B ballad fronted by the best singer of the ‘80s.
5. Johnny Cash: “Hurt” Nine Inch Nails
Johnny replaces the spacy production with folk arpeggios but keeps the intense chords during the choruses to illuminate his emotional delivery. More importantly, he reinterprets a song about mental illness to one about end-of-life sorrow and regret.
4. Bob Walsh: “The House of the Rising Sun” Traditional Folk Song
Yeah, the version by The Animals may be the most famous, but the first written record of this song is from Appalachia in the ‘30s, and it may be a variation of an old English folk song. The Animals’ version is also not the best version; that honor goes to a little-known blues singer and guitarist from Québec. Fight me all you want; I will die on this hill! The slower tempo and backing vocals make the song haunting throughout, and Bob lets his roughest edges out in the end, making his warning more foreboding.
3. The Beatles: “Twist and Shout” The Top Notes
The Isley Brothers managed to add more of a melody to the original, and Ronald Isley imbued his vocal with hints of rock and roll. John Lennon took Ronald’s cue and ramped it up tenfold, to the point where he lost his voice after only one take. It was worth it, though, because it was the beginning of The Beatles dictating the direction of rock and roll forever.
2. Jimi Hendrix: “The Star-Spangled Banner” National Anthem of the United States
It was a difficult decision between this and Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower”, but this is a piece of history. Jimi starts by mostly sticking to the melody while maintaining his playing style with reverb throughout. When he gets to “And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air”, the distortion literally sounds like bombs going off and people screaming as a protest against the Vietnam War. That probably pissed off some patriots, but sometimes, good art pushes buttons.
1. Aretha Franklin: “Respect” Otis Redding
This song is so synonymous with Aretha that it’s hard to imagine that it’s a cover. To be the biggest hit for a legend who was named the best singer of all time by Rolling Stone, defining a decades long career is more a cover has ever done and will ever do. The original is not bad musically, although the back-up singers and the R-E-S-P-E-C-T breakdown at the end add some pizzazz. Lyrically, the original is, well, weird. The message of it seems to be “I don’t care if you cheat on me, just don’t do it in my house out of respect.” The smartest thing Aretha did was change the lyrics into a feminist anthem.